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Sound Bars at Every Price
The next time you’re admiring your TV’s super-svelte profile, consider that its inspired design probably makes for less-than-stellar sound quality. The reason is fairly simple—there’s less room for a powerful sound system with bigger speakers. That’s why only a handful of the 145 televisions in our TV Ratings—all of them larger models—earned at least a very good score for sound. Most sets were judged only good, and a considerable number fell short of even that unremarkable mark.
Good sound quality is probably perfectly adequate for routine programming—sitcoms, reality shows, talk shows, and the like—but for movie soundtracks and even TV dramas you might want richer, fuller sound. You could remedy that shortcoming with a pricey surround sound system or home-theater-in-a-box, but there’s a simpler, cheaper, space-saving solution: a sound bar speaker.
Most sound bars are long, thin enclosures, about 40 inches or longer, that are mounted on the wall or placed on a shelf above or below the TV. Sound bars typically house two to five speakers (some might have more), plus amplification, in a single enclosure, and some come with a separate subwoofer (often a wireless model).
There are also pedestal-style sound bars, called sound bases, that can serve as a base for a TV. (Check the weight of your set to make sure the stand can support it.)
Just connect the sound bar to your TV, plug the power cord into a wall outlet, and you can start enjoying better sound. Few of even the best-sounding TVs can rival a top-notch sound bar speaker system.
Many sound bars sell for $200 to $600 or so, with a handful priced as low as $100 and other models costing up to $1,000 or more. Here are three great choices at various price points:
Sharp HT-SB602, $250
Got a he-man-sized TV with wimpy sound? Add some sonic muscle with this 2.1-channel sound bar, designed for TVs 60 inches or larger. The Sharp HT-SB602 offers very good overall sound quality, and the piano-black finish on the sound bar and matching wireless subwoofer make them an attractive couple. The speaker has Bluetooth with NFC for easy pairing with mobile devices, and its two HDMI inputs let you connect and switch between two other pieces of gear using the included remote control.
Samsung HW-J6500, $550
OK, you were enticed by the appealing aesthetics of a curved TV, and you’ve found that its sound isn’t as banging as its looks. This Wi-Fi model from Samsung, designed to match the curves of its, and others’ TVs, is one elegant solution. Sporting an attractive aluminum enclosure that houses both front- and side-firing speakers, the sound bar can connect to your home network using either a wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, and to a compatible Samsung TV via Bluetooth. The sound bar, which comes with a wireless subwoofer, can access streaming music services, and become part of a multiroom sound system when paired with other Samsung wireless audio speakers.
Sonos Playbar, $700
This Wi-Fi model from Sonos is a sound bar with ambition. Not only does it work as a speaker for your TV and team up with other Sonos speakers to become part of a multiroom setup, but unlike the Samsung it can also be used as the center-channel speaker in a full-blown multichannel surround-sound system in one room. In addition to playing TV sound, the Sonos Playbar can stream audio from other devices or connect directly with several Internet-based music services. A downloadable app can turn your phone or tablet into a remote control.
Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S.
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